Preparing your Home for Sale

The only print advertising I do anymore is The Real Estate Book. They gave me a free page last week to advertise my “SOLD” listings for 2011. As I was going through all of my sold files I discovered that I had sold 7 houses in less than 2 weeks on the market. And I am talking the worst market in Tyler since the 1980’s oil bust! All of these homes had one thing in common –
– they had all done what I asked them to do to get the house ready to put on the market. They had cleaned, painted and staged, and it paid off. As the famed wit Will Rogers once said, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” With the prospective buyer making 50% of their buying decision when they drive up to the house it is imperative that the home be ready for the market!

I go so far as to ask sellers to wash or repaint the front door and put seasonal color plants in pots on the front porch. If you have a storm door it needs to sparkle! Hedges and foundation plantings need to be trim and neat, driveway and sidewalks edged. No children’s toys or anything out front to mar the appearance!

Inside should be spotlessly clean! Give everything a very critical eye. The kitchen should be so clean you can eat off the floor. Countertop clutter should be removed and no more than 3 appliances left out on the countertop. If you have a small kitchen, the coffee maker may be all you have room for. There should be something eye catching on all premium counter space such as colorful canisters, a small bottle collection, a bowl of fruit, decorative plate or platter, or even a new attractive cup towel folded on the counter.

Closets need to be cleaned out and organized. Move out of season clothes into boxes in the garage or attic. Bathrooms need to be spotless as well. Clean grout thoroughly – it’s amazing what several days of bleach spray will do to reduce mildew! Get a towel set to match the bath (all one color please) and hang them on the main rod. Get a new shower curtain if the one you have is dated or looking a bit shabby.

Did you notice how often I used the words “sparkle” and “spotless”? Your home may be outdated but if it makes a great first impression and is absolutely clean when the buyers go inside, it is amazing how positively the buyers react!

So if you are thinking about selling your home and need some advice on getting your home ready for the market and staging it to sell, then give the Tyler Homes Group a call at 903.581.5225 and we will be glad to help!

This entry was posted
on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 10:52 am and is filed under Sellers.
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You only get one first impression!! In today’s market this is crucial in order to stay ahead of the competing homes on the market. People remember a trashy house and they remember an exceptional house, they forget the mediocre house, so you must be the exceptional house!!!!